Thus far, I have been reading many contributions to the discourse on revolution which indicate that we have not yet got it -- the lesson regarding what is happening in the ARAB world. As far as I am concerned, it's not whether the protesters inEgypt, Yemen, Algeria and Jordan are successful to overthrow their unpopular governments or not. The issue is: when the wind will have turned South to Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, The Gambia, etc., would we have learned enough lessons from our ARAB brethren or not.
Compare two or three revolutions of the past: American, French and the Chinese. The American Revolution, as soon as the hostilities ended, began to affect for good the course American History and politics. The Civil War, one may say, was the completion of what was lacking at 1776, namely, the inclusion of blacks (4 million of them at the time) into the household of freedom.
The French Revolution lingered on for years and almost all of Europe trembled at what was happening in Paris. Even their hero, Napoleon,died in exile . He was not a beneficiary of their revolution after all. The Chinese Revolution,if a revolution it might be called, cost the Chinese people 72 million lives. Again, I ask, will Nigeria or any other African country, be willing to pay such a high price to have a dictatorship of the Mao type?
Let us not rejoice yet that "a revolution" is happening. Let us watch with a sense of awe and preparation for what may befall AFRICA south of the Sahara, maybe later this year. Some American preacher has been defiantly saying that the world will end this year by May 21. We may laugh at his obnoxious predictions but we must watch and pray about the wind blowing up north.
All I have to say now to us all is: "Weep Not Child," watch and pray.
E.S. Etuk, Ph.D
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